Great night out – 1943 A Dance Odyssey

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1940s Dublin, 1943 A Dance Odyssey, dance, dance film, Deirdre Mulrooney, Erina Brady, great night out, Irish-German dancer Erina Brady, Liam OLaoghaire, modern dance, Samuel Beckett Theater, Trinity College

Little Margaret Becker (about age 4-5) dancing in the studio

After a busy and somewhat hectic day I was rewarded with a wonderful event yesterday evening. At 6.30 pm I sat in the Samuel Beckett Theater in Trinity College and watched a few enchanting Tiny Tots dance across the screen.

The wonderful Deirdre Mulrooney had invited me along to a special reunion screening of 1943 – A Dance Odyssey. The film shows original footage, shot by the great Liam OLaoghaire, of enigmatic Irish-German dancer Erina Brady in her studio teaching young Irish children the joys of modern dance.

As mainland Europe was torn by war, the 1940s in Dublin was a haven for bohemian creatives and free thinkers and during this time Erina Brady showed some open-minded people how the body could be used to express thoughts, be a symbol of freedom and be celebrated – no shoes required!

Over a period of about ten years Erina Brady taught some lucky children all about this way of thinking and some of those Tiny Tots from back then were heavily influenced by this unusual woman.

At the screening yesterday some of the little blond girls in plaits and flamed haired dancers were there, a reunion of the Tiny Tots to celebrate some very special childhood memories captured on screen.

It was wonderful to see these woman, 71 years after being filmed, and to hear all about how the seed of creativity, planted so very long ago, had grown for so many of them into a way of life. Creative strong women who told stories of a Dublin long gone, true treasures I was delighted to have met and talk to over wine and canapes.

In a few months time TG4 will be showing another film Deirdre Mulrooney has been working about the times and life of Erina Brady and I can’t wait to see it.

goodbye green

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colours, Dublin, green, Ireland, St Patrick's Day, Trinity College

Saint Patrick day is well and truly over. Thankfully in my case as the disruption of everyday life did get in my way. Students didn’t show up for classes, tourists clogged up the streets and traffic was diverted. And green, everywhere was green. Cheap plasticy hats, bow ties and head poppers wandering around the city, touristy t-shirts, socks and even bibs declaring their Irishness, need kissing or that the leprechauns did it on buses, the Luas and in every pub.

Thankfully with the dawn of Tuesday morning the fay have been put back into the box and normality has returned to Dublin. And while the world is saying goodbye to green I am enjoying the fresh green peaking out from my window box.

I love the colour green, all hues from lime all the way up to a deep forest. it’s a colour that most people associate with nature, health and relaxation. But of course there is the other side to green: envy, immaturity, illness and even deterioration.

But with a nod to spring and a sigh of relief that Paddy’s Day has passed I will wear green today maybe because everyone else has said Goodbye.

Trinity College Dublin, St. Patrick’s Day 2013

of mummies and aunts

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bog boddies, Book of Kells, chocolate eclairs, culture, Dublin, family, Ireland, miscellaneous, National Museum Dublin, photography, random, Trinity College

Who knew teenagers would still delight in bog mummies? After I met up with my lovely niece and her freind yesterday, I took them to Trinity College in Dublin to take a peak at the Book of Kells and marvel at the magnificent old Libary.

A page from the Book of Kells

even Harry Potter couldn’t resist, the Trinity College Old Library features in the films

As we wandered around and I acted as simultaneous interpreter I suddenly realised that I was morphing into a dictionary. They asked me about everything and I often was a little bit stumped at how to explain things, but at least they did seem interested. After half an hour in the library and about twenty hours in the gift shop I took them to Cafe en Seine, a beautifully opulent restaurant/bar/cafe on the south side of Dublin and served them sweets and hot drinks and watched them giggle and gossip and take a photographing tour around the place.

Cafe en Seine

Once their needs had been met thy struggled in deciding on what to do so i made an executive decision and ushered them to the National Museum. Their photo taking fingers clicking as they walked and chatted we entered the beautiful museum and I was surprised at how their eyes lit up at the big entrance hall.

The National Museum entrance hall

But the thing that earned the most laughs and awe were the bog bodies. These mummified men found out in the bog date back to 300-500BC and widened their eyes and made them ask even more questions. So the day was a success and while they are slumbering upstairs I need to hurry to get to work on time and plan another afternoon filled with delights and surprises and I am sure some chocolate eclairs.